The Center for Human-Animal Interaction

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United States
Richmond, VA
The Center for Human-Animal Interaction

The Center for Human-Animal Interaction at VCU School of Medicine is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization housed in the Department of Psychiatry.

Founded in June 2001, our mission is improved health and well being through human-animal interaction. CHAI's research goal is to increase knowledge of the benefits of the human-animal interaction through interdisciplinary research. We are a recognized pioneer in the area of researching health benefits of human-animal interaction with many studies published internationally in scholarly journals. CH

AI's clinical goal is to enhance health and well being through animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and pet visitation. Our popular therapy dog program, Dogs On Call (www.facebook.com/dogsoncall), provides visits to patients throughout the VCU Medical Center and our research documents the positive impact of these visits. We also provide pet loss counseling groups for clients of participating veterinary and other facilities. CHAI's educational goal is to improve understanding of the benefits of the human-animal interaction. We provide guest lectures in educational settings, occasional practicum or internships, and are often invited to make presentations to local, national, and international audiences.

07/27/2026

🎙️ Exciting news! Our Executive Director, Dr. Nancy Gee, is featured on the latest episode of the Patients Come First podcast discussing the incredible impact of human-animal interaction. Stream it now on your favorite podcast app, catch it on the radio this Sunday at 10 a.m., or listen directly here: https://www.vhha.com/podcasts/patients-come-first-podcast-nancy-gee/

07/10/2026

🐾One T-Shirt Day Left!🐾

Continue celebrating the 25th Anniversary of CHAI and our amazing program! We will be selling anniversary t-shirts on the 1st floor of VCU Health Main Hospital (just outside Panera) on the following dates:

• Friday, July 10, 11:30am-12:30pm

Where: Main Hospital, 1st Floor (Just outside Panera)

Drop by, say hi (or woof), and get a t-shirt!

07/07/2026

🐾Two T-Shirt Days Left!🐾

Continue celebrating the 25th Anniversary of CHAI and our amazing program! We will be selling anniversary t-shirts on the 1st floor of VCU Health Main Hospital (just outside Panera) on the following dates:

• Thursday, July 9, 11:30am-12:30pm,
• Friday, July 10, 11:30am-12:30pm

Where: Main Hospital, 1st Floor (Just outside Panera)

Drop by, say hi (or woof), and get a t-shirt!

07/06/2026

🐾 Celebrating 25 Years of Paws & Purpose! 🐾

Continue celebrating the 25th Anniversary of CHAI and our amazing program! We will be selling anniversary t-shirts on the 1st floor of VCU Health Main Hospital (just outside Panera) on the following dates:

• Monday, July 6, 1:00PM-2:00P
• Thursday, July 9, 11:30am-12:30pm,
• Friday, July 10, 11:30am-12:30pm

Where: Main Hospital, 1st Floor (Just outside Panera)

Drop by, say hi (or woof), and get a t-shirt!

06/30/2026

Virginia Commonwealth University and VCU Health! Please join us as we celebrate our 25th anniversary TODAY, between 11am and 1pm on the 1st floor of Main Hospital near the Panera!

06/29/2026

Come join us as we celebrate our 25th anniversary TOMORROW, June 30, between 11am and 1pm on the 1st floor of Main Hospital near the Panera!

06/24/2026

Virginia Commonwealth University and VCU Health! Come join us as we celebrate our 25th anniversary on June 30, between 11am and 1pm on the 1st floor of Main Hospital near the Panera!

06/23/2026

Milestone moment: We couldn’t do this without support. Thank you to the Bill Balaban Endowment and all our incredible donors who fuel our 25-year mission! 💙

Address

1200 E Broad Street
Richmond, VA
23298

Website

http://www.chai.vcu.edu/

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